() — quit the wheel or forgo the glory of a royal flush in poker, his own—a that cost him his life. by the "" that came with early in Las Vegas and later in, went on to lose P50 ($873,515) in seven years.
He was for theft to cover the debt, sent to and then tried to take his own life.
" is an. It only leads to three: jail, or death," said, who a group in 2011 for with a.
The group, by five, has more than 300 with daily. Its are as young as 13 and as old as 72. and the worry that is, with ever more drawn to games, their need by ads and.
"The of we is 10 times more than usual., were by men. But now they’re by... as well," said. have filed bills on, such as the use of that, bets. want a total ban. has taken off in the, with from taxes and fees paid by local for the first at P51 ($892), to news data from the and (), the's.
It for about half of the’s total so far this year.
At least 80 have in the, to. in in 2016, the door to firms that to the. Jr. track and a ban on the last year, a "grave abuse" of laws by the., of games, such as slot, poker and, are still and can be from.
While is legal, said have to limit the or who can these games, as is.
"They are easy and to. In just a tap of a, you can your life," he said. can join a game, then all their apps that even can use, he said., of sites, and, said would "drive, sites with no" as well as hit some 50,000 in the.
"We are open to and. If there are new to meet, or ways to, we will act and," Chair Tanco said in a.
The has as a "moral and" and for a ban.
"It is now a in our, just like drug, and other types of. It not only the but also their," Pablo David, of the' of the, said in a.
He said hurts poor who have no or and young who are with the cost of as well as other.
In one group with more than 25,000, one user said he tried to stop by an app but to curb his., a based in, can be on to block sites. Matt said the is the app’s of new, after and, a surge from about 26,000 in 2024 to more than 32,000 in the first half of 2025.
"It may be by the of, legal and," said.
He said are with rates of than, and about 80% of users play slots.
" wants to make lives for, and is that can that in a very short space of time," said the.
In such as, the and, is free. In the, it costs $3.49 a month.
"There must be on to. And in my ideal world, there't be as many," he said.
", if done, can or at the very least."—
